Day 7 report

I’m due to start “clear liquids” in the morning. I was allowed to start tonight, but decided against it because if something goes wrong I’m not sure the slim night crew can handle it. (Not a knock on this hospital, just the Way Things Are in the hospital biz.) I have been off food since a week ago yesterday (starting with prep for the procedure that put me here last Saturday). One more night won’t hurt. Also, for what it’s worth, I have not received “food in bags”, but rather various other fluids. The bag closest to me says “5% DEXTROSE and 0.9% SODIUM CLORIDE”. Stuff like that. Yum.

We seem to be past the blown vein problem (blew four in 24 hours, filling my hands and arms with stuff). Both my hands are still puffed up and my right arm is down to about 1.5x the volume of the left.

I have little pain. This is the key, and an important goal. I’m otherwise pretty wasted and very anemic, mostly because I’m already a little anemic in any case and all these fluids have only thinned my blood out more.

My pancreatic enzymes, liver chemicals and other indicators are back in the normal range. For me. I’m not normal, but it’ll do.

Also a warm shout-out and a big hug for my partner in recovery, Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald, who is now deep in the Tunnel of Chemo. I’m gonna get through this thing a lot sooner. (Though we still don’t know what the “cystic lesions” on my pancreas are. And won’t for another month or more, since I doubt I could tolerate another endoscopy without repeating the last week. Not soon, anyway.)

David,
The only sign of your returning health that anybody really needs is for you to blog again. I’m so relieved to “hear your voice.”
Keep on improving and keep on blogging.
We love you.
Jan and Rick…and lots of other California fans

Someone asked me this week why I thought you were a big deal. Although I hadn’t thought about it before, the words just came right out. “I’ve been doing marketing for years. Doc brought dignity to my profession”.

Buzz, I have been remiss on following through on your offer to “connect the Docs”. Maybe this summer we can do lunch or something. What that man did this NBA season has me in awe. That last game was like the last movement of a triumphant symphony. An Ode to Joy and Belief in Teamwork and hard, hard work. Talk about “mental toughness.” The Celtics had it. The Lakers didn’t. Not in that last game, anyway.

And I salivate for Bullocks already. The Blue Ribbon Barbeque in Arlington, MA, actually does a pretty fine job on what it calls “North Carolina pulled pork barbeque. But I do want the Real Thing. Bullucks. Or Hussey’s, in Graham, NC. P. Allen & Sons in Chapel Hill. Whoa. Gimme sum that.

Okay you’re awake and blogging. As Jan said it proves your alive. Thank God. Doug and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief here. It’s been so hot here, neither of us can sleep much even with the air conditioner running.

While we know you’re getting the best of care in Beantown, we really wish you were closer to home here. Doug would have been there to check on you in a heartbeat. (You don’t know it but you saved Doug’s bacon in an interview the other day. Cluetrain still wow’s em!) Dr. Doug would love to know the reasons why you were not on a TPN after 8 days of no GD food? He is not amused that you’ve been toughing this out without nutritional support. However he warns you to GO SLOW when they finally give you something to eat.

Personally I’m not thrilled to hear about your arms. If I’d been there they wouldn’t have gotten an opportunity to blow 2-3 or 4. I’m surprised you’re able to type.

On the bright side be thankful you’re no in SoCal this weekend. Yesterday it hit 109 degrees here in Diamond Bar. The weather guys are promising Sat-Sun (110-113) will be more of the same. We get the pleasure of going to Palm Springs on Monday, where it was 118 yesterday.

There’s a great Doc-o-sphere out here and I hope you can feel our collective love for you. You have not only inspired and taught us, you have provided us with a model of how to express ourselves in a way that challenges conventional wisdom — and those with whom we disagree — in way that is dignified and respectful of others.

I can’t tell you how much your writing (and those times we have talked) has influenced me both professionally and personally. I can never thank you enough.

That you are sharing your health status and recovery with us this way is not only reassuring to those of us who care for you and can’t wait to see you up and about, I feel also it will help encourage others to take seriously the pains and aches we sometimes dismiss, but that can be our bodies speaking to us — and we must learn listen.

Thank you for all you’ve done, all you do, and all you will continue to do inspire, teach and entertain those of us in the docosphere.

Doc – way back in 2004 when i first started my blog you linked to me and responded to my email. i thought i had gone to blog-heaven! please know that one more of your fans has you in her thoughts and prayers.